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Building The Larder

The building of Lodsworth Larder was achieved by the collaboration of our architect Val Hinde, and woodsman and eco-builder Ben Law. The original design and layout went through various modifications, before the final structure was approved, and planning permission granted. Without the generous support of the head landlord, Tony Barnes, the success of the project could not have been achieved.

Once the final designs were in place, the build of the shop was overseen by Ben Law, and his team of apprentices and volunteers. Unlike a conventional build, it was not a simple matter of placing an order with a timber merchant and waiting for standard size timbers to arrive on site. Each of Ben’s projects are constructed from locally sourced materials, and to a certain extent the build is grown and developed around the timbers and material Ben sources. Many people come to visit us to see the unique design, and to gain inspiration for their own building projects. We have put together a gallery, which shows the progress of the build during 2009.

Site preparation

Some of the team at work

Constructing the A frame

Preparing to raise the A frame

Pulleys and winches in position

Raising the A frame July 09

Preparing the roof

Hand-cut cedar tiles going into position

The external framework

Oak cladding in place

Nearly finished

Shelving in place, waiting for stock

The finished shop

Early days of trading

All the timber was sourced locally, the walls are insulated with sheep’s wool and photovoltaic panels provide the shop with electricity. Lodsworth Larder is registered for the Feed-in Tarriff scheme, which means we are paid for electricity we generate, and any surplus can be exported to the grid. More about the Feed-in Tarrif scheme can be found at the Energy Saving Trust website. The shop has no conventional heating, but the heat produced by our fridges can be circulated by a heat recovery system to heat the shop in the winter. More technical information regarding the build, can be found in Ben’s book, “Roundwood Timber Framing”. We have signed copies of Ben’s book in the shop, (although it is worth ringing to check availability). The book is also available from our bookshop.